Career and College Readiness

AP® courses are some of the most widely accepted college-level academic experiences available to high school students. Credit is not guaranteed; it depends on your AP Exam score and each college sets their own score marker for obtaining credit.

AP® courses are designed by the College Board and use a common set of learning objectives. Students see and feel what college work is like, while receiving the support of the high school environment. In these courses, learning means sharing ideas and adding unique perspectives — the dialogue and debate contributes to the knowledge that everyone shares. 

Students choose AP courses for many reasons. These courses provide an opportunity to dig deeper into subjects of interest. They support the development of skills needed to succeed in post-secondary institutions, such as advanced research, communication, creativity, problem-solving, and analytical skills. Taking these courses communicates to colleges an interest in challenging course work that helps you stand out in admissions and skip introductory classes.

You don't need to be top of your class to take an AP® course, but you'll want to be prepared. Some courses have recommended prerequisites and all courses ask that you come willing to do your best work. You should expect rigorous coursework that will require high-level time management and study skills. Taking the AVID elective course paired with an AP course provides students with time and opportunity to apply the skills necessary to succeed in rigorous coursework.

Grading

AP courses are the only weighted courses at the high school using an added .5 weight to a student’s grade point average (GPA). For example, a grade of “A” is equal to 4.0 GPA points. Using the weighted grade system, a grade of “A” will be equal to a 4.5 GPA. The weighted grade system will add .5 GPA points to each grade earned in an AP® course.

Getting college credit

At the end of an AP® course, students will have the opportunity to take the exam for that course. The final exam score is reported on a 5-point scale. Many colleges and universities grant credit and placement for scores of 3, 4 or 5; however, each college decides which scores it will accept. Always be sure to check the college website or to the College Board’s AP Credit Policy Search tool. 

This can be some of the most transferrable college-credit of any other high school experience if a student does well on the exam. This may be especially important if a student is considering attending college outside of Minnesota.

Students can start their college careers early by taking college classes from partnering programs while they are still at the high school. Embedded college courses fulfill General Education requirements at any Minnesota public institution, saving students money and time when they get to college.

We offer embedded college courses through Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Bethel University, Minnesota State University—Mankato and University of Minnesota—Twin Cities. Explore the variety of course options in the registration guide. Eligibility criteria for embedded college courses is determined by the partner university.

Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Anoka-Ramsey Community College courses are especially beneficial if you plan to stay in the Minnesota State Colleges and University system or community college. Many meet part of the credits needed for the first year of college. You can take everything from College Algebra and Pre-Calculus to Communication and Art History. Explore options in the registration guide.

Bethel University

Through our partnership with Bethel University, students can choose to take Hybrid Environmental Science in grades 11 or 12. This college course is an introduction to environmental studies and includes hands-on experience in the field with Blaine Wetland Sanctuary. The course offers four college credits through Bethel.

Minnesota State University—Mankato

Through Minnesota State University—Mankato, we offer a path of four Spanish courses for college credit. These courses provide options for our Spanish Immersion students to continue their path to being bilingual and biliterate by the time they graduate. They also provide non-immersion students with opportunity to have college-level language on their transcripts.

University of Minnesota - College in the Schools

College in the Schools (CIS) is a collaborative program offered through the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Students are concurrently enrolled at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and Spring Lake Park High School and take their college course at the high school.

Students in 11^th and 12^th grade are eligible to take CIS courses in German or Teacher Education. These are the same courses that are offered on the university campus. These free college credits are highly transferable and students demonstrate their learning on multiple and varied assessments throughout the course, rather than on a single, high-stakes test.

German 3 (German 1003 at U of M) and German 4 (German 1004 at U of M) use the same materials, tests, quizzes, grading system and syllabi as on campus at the U of M but at a more manageable pace. Each course is five credits and students may be able to earn five retroactive credits for German 1002. No matter which institution students attend after high school, almost all can easily transfer their U of M credits, earn retroactive credits and/or be exempt from college language coursework for their work at Spring Lake Park High School.

Teacher Education 1 – Exploring the Teaching Profession offers students the opportunity to earn two college credits through the University of Minnesota as they explore a career in education. The course provides content knowledge and field experiences. Throughout the year, students will work with younger students as an intern in a local elementary, middle or high school classroom, under the supervision of a mentor teacher.

Articulated credits are college credits that students may be eligible to receive through the successful completion of their course aligned to a specific career and technical education program. The course instructor provides a student with an articulation form for a specific college and the student works directly with the college’s admissions office to get the college credit for the course. The student must attend that college program to receive the credit.

Articulated credits work best when courses are tied to an industry certification such as the CNA, EMT, EMR, CISCO, or Adobe applications. The CTECreditMN.com website has helpful information to guide students. 

There are multiple college options for students to earn articulation agreement credits for the following courses at Spring Lake Park High School:

• First Aid/CPR
• Child Development 1 & 2
• Nursing Assistant Registered
• Emergency Medical Responder
• Emergency Medical Technician

Through Project Lead the Way, students may take engineering courses and apply for credit through University of Minnesota or St. Cloud State University. Each course requires a passing grade on the end-of-course assessment.

Courses include - Intro to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering. These courses help students understand if this is a career field of interest and will likely transfer as elective credit.

If a student is interested in becoming an engineer, we also encourage taking high-level math and AP Physics or Chemistry.

Spring Lake Park High School and 13 other districts comprise Intermediate District 916 giving students access to 916’s Career and Tech offerings. Students have access to programs that are eligible for elective high school credit and give high school students professional skills, industry certifications, and in many programs, college credit. Students attend for 105 minutes and spend the remainder of their day at their home high school taking their required core classes.

Courses include:

• Cosmetology: General, 3 to 12 credits
• Cosmetology: Nail Technology & Esthiology (skin), 12 credits
• Hospitality Careers: Intro (grade 10-12)
• Automotive and Welding Careers: Intro, 4 credits
• Diesel Trucks and Engine Technology: 7 credits at DCTC
• Animal Science and Natural Resources: 6 credits
• Automotive Technology: Up to 14 credits
• Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement: 9 credits
• Dental Careers: (grade 12), 9 credits
• Phlebotomy: (grade 12)

These options are off-campus, not Spring Lake Park High School programs.

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis.

By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year (whichever is earlier), schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year.

There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 and the district does not waive this date requirement.

Funds are available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.

Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.

School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.

Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.

All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final. 

Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.

Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8^th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional postsecondary courses. If the student did not take the MCA in 8^th-grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency.

More information

For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.